In Washington Already
After leaving my Thanksgiving family, I did some errands around Bend (Amazon package pick-up and refuel) before heading north. I studied my Astro-map a while to make sure I took roads I hadn’t been on before.
Since I was keen for some lower elevation (and warmer temperatures), I avoided Mt. Hood. It’s hard to do because it is just so stunning up-close but been there, done that. I had F1 practice sessions playing as I drove, because they’re good to just listen to and sneak a glance when something interesting happened.
We stopped in at the town of Maurine for a pee break. There’s a beautiful campground right on Deschutes River that was deserted but for the campground host. The town is obviously a-buzz in the Summer when river rafting is the popular activity. I felt pretty good about myself when an older couple out on a walk asked, “Is that your van? What a beautiful blue!” Why thank you.
As we continued north, Cleo talked up a big game about all the cows in the fields, whining and carrying on. We stopped at the trailhead for White River Falls and she was on-guard as I made and ate lunch.
When we got outside to go on a walk, she basically ignored them as if they were beneath her? Idiot.
White River Falls looked pretty cool from the top but once we got down the trail a bit, it was breathtaking. The ice and snow covered the skirts of the falls made for a pretty scene.
We went all the way down the trail and had a look around the old power house. I can just imagine the old brick building bustling with machinery in its day.
Further down the river, I could stand right on top of the next set of falls. Wow the cold makes everything seem more dangerous. I was very careful as I stepped across rocks to get to the rest of the falls, very aware that in the shade of the canyon, even getting my shoes wet would have serious consequences.
Back near the top of the trail, we walked along the old dam and looked into the holding ponds that were there to eliminate rock and debris from the water before it went through the power house. Very basic but it made sense.
Back on the road, once we crossed over the impressive Dalles Dam, into the state of Washington and the Colombia River Gorge, I was in camp-finding mode.
The rest area was good but I wanted to do better. It was getting dark quickly so I settled for a spot at the Wind Mountain trailhead. I tucked Berta into the trees and heard the dense pines creaking and rustling all night long.
Wind Mountain
After a week off, it seemed quite the mission to sit down and do work. Good news was that my water system had thawed. Bad news was that the gas water heater pipe had burst from the Bend freeze so when I turned the pump on, all I heard was water spewing into the garage. Shit. Thankfully it was easily contained but that meant I couldn’t turn the pump on or get any water out of the tap. Good thing I have a drain line at the back of the van! That would be my source of water for the rest of this trip. Too cold and fiddly to get into the garage to do any repairs. I had the old-fashioned kettle to heat up water.
After working a bit, I ate breakfast while watching the end of the race. By 8am, Cleo was restless so we geared up for a hike to the top of Wind Mountain.
It was steep work and the trail wound beautifully through the thick forest. The view at the top was great and I was careful not to tread on any of the culturally significant rock structures natives had made up there. There were signs explaining their religious significance, but they just looked like walls built up to battle the wind to me.
Through the band of cloud that hovered around the peak of the mountain, I could see Mt. St. Helens in the distance. Everything in sight was either green (forest), white (snow) or grey (clouds and rocks). These are the colors of Washington.
I always do some good thinking when I’m hiking so by the time we got back to Berta, I’d come up with a solution to the water heater problem – install a drain tap so that the system is never full of water when freezing is a possibility. Still not anything I’ll do soon but good to have a solution in-hand.
Once I finished my work day, we took a walk along the road for our afternoon jaunt and I discovered that forests creep me out. I think it’s because the thick trees prevent you from being able to see what’s coming, or what might be out there.
Frog Lake was nice in the late sun but I didn’t fancy walking back in the dark so we made sure we were back to camp by sun-down.
A few hikers were parked up and I saw another van come in later that night but otherwise I had the place to myself.
Dog Mountain
I was up early for another “day” of work and happy to have the diesel heater. I ran the engine for fifteen minutes while it got going which meant the headlights blared through the clearing. I really need to get that fixed. I have the buck booster ready for install, but one thing at a time.
My house battery died at 8am. Bugger. Since Moab, I’d stopped tracking my battery level because I seemed to have been managing ok but now, in the shade of a thick, cold forest and a lot of F1 watching, I’d used everything up! Well, I’d just have to go find some sun to work in!
I went down the hill and posted up at Home Valley Park. Most of it was closed for the season but the carpark was open for windsurfers to have access to the Colombia River. Despite the cold, a couple of people actually showed up, suited up and went out there. Eek!
I walked around the closed campground with Cleo then settled in for my work day. There was enough solar coming in to power me up and I used my phone as my internet source to save the power of using Starlink. I am learning.
My last meeting ended at 1:30pm so that was the end of my work day. We drove a little ways down the road to Dog Mountain. I paid $5 at the trailhead and we started up the hill. Wow was it steep and there weren’t many flat sections to give us a break.
We hiked through thick mossy forest with leaves covering the ground in places. Apparently this is a beautiful hike in the autumn time and I can imagine why.
We climbed to 3,000 feet and I’d taken most of my layers off and hung them on my camelback. A girl coming down as we neared the top warned me of the snow and that it would be a good idea to layer-up when we came out of the trees. Well! She was dead right!
Not long after we hit the white stuff, there was a couple of beautiful viewpoints and it wasn’t as windy as Wind Mountain. On the west side of the hill, it was surprisingly calm.
The further up we went, the more snow. Cleo lost it completely. She hadn’t been with us for the tobogganing so this was her first sight of it in almost a year and she was amped!
She ran uncontrollably with her tail tucked up and down the trail in a few inches of soft snow. Nothing I said or did could stop her, I just tried to stand out of the way when she barreled past me on the narrow trail.
The mountain’s peak was somewhere along a loop in the forest and we made fresh tracks completing the loop. It was so dark on the east side thanks to the thick trees covered in snow that I picked up the pace a bit, doing a bit of a jog.
Now I was in a scary forest that was extremely cold! I would be terrified to be stuck in a place like this overnight, I didn’t want to risk taking a wrong turn or losing a minute for any reason so I moved as cautiously as I could.
My phone was also dying from the cold. Having started at 80%, I was now down to 2% and it was my only way of navigating. Sheesh! I will carry a battery pack from now on. But we were fine. We were soon out of the forest and back onto the main trail and as we came back to the first viewpoint, the sky had started turning orange.
The layers I’d been sweating in on the way up now kept me very comfortable on the way down. We got a couple of glimpses of the colorful sunset on the way down, but mostly I just kept my head down and kept the pace up.
Fifteen minutes after reaching the van, it was pitch black. We’d timed it just right – or cut it too close depending on how you look at it. I was happy to be sending a daily safety check-in to my nearest and dearest.
We moved off to find camp and the first place I’d picked out was private property so I settled for another trailhead. It was next to the road and the train line, but the noise was comforting after the windy silence of the mountain.
I had a much-needed shower, which was pretty good the second time round but now with 3D-printed parts delivered by Ross, I can install the real thing. I need to get onto that too. I don’t have time for a full-time job!
Seven Streams
Contrary to my normal habits, I looked at a weather report and it was going to start snowing/raining tomorrow. That meant I had one last day of play at the Colombia River Gorge. I hadn’t even planned to come here and now I’d spent nearly a week exploring the beautiful area. Being parked at a waterfall, of course that was the day’s first order of business.
I worked until 10:30am then we drove 45 minutes over to Oregon. I paid $3.50 for the privilege of driving over a very narrow bridge. Maybe with my money they can widen it?
I parked at the Seven Streams trailhead. I read the sign for how to pay but didn’t have any cell service to scan the QR code, so didn’t bother any further with it. It’s a Wednesday, who’s going to be checking? And here I was thinking I was organized carrying a bunch of cash for just this situation.
I suited up for riding while I ate a muffin for fuel. A couple of guys next to me were getting their bikes ready when I heard a loud “PSSSHHHTT”. He’d twisted his valve cap off and lost all the air from his front tyre. He didn’t have a floor pump to air up again so he thought his day of riding was cancelled. Not so. I gave him my pliers and pump and they were soon on their way.
It was hovering around -1*C and I’d blasted the heater on the way over and channeled my inner-Ross for enthusiasm. I figured Cleo would be up for a rest considering our recent hiking but after putting the window covers up to keep her warm and leaving the passenger side half-up to give her a view, she scratched at it as I rode away. As I came back to the van, I heard her scratching at the door.
I opened it and said, “Bad girl!” And put her back in her place. That didn’t work. She scratched again as I rode off. I tried the “Bad girl!” Thing again but she just wagged her tail at me. How could I resist? I put her collar on and let her out. Guess she was coming with me.
We did just under four miles together and she looked like she was in heaven. A leafy trail lead us out of the carpark and steadily climbed turning into dirt with ice at the edges, then there was a bit of snow.
Riding up the twisty Mobius climb meant that we were able to make a great little loop. I let Cleo go in front so I rode at her speed which was a nice warm-up for me and workout for her.
Once we got towards the end of Mitchell’s Ridge, I got in front and let rip. To my surprise, she was nearly keeping up with me, running full tilt down the berms. At least she’d be tired after this!
We cruised back into the carpark and rode past a man holding a clipboard. He was about to stick an obnoxious orange sticker on my window for not paying my fee. He was nice about it and when I explained I didn’t have any cell service and that I planned to pay on my way out, he was happy. Every other car in the carpark got an orange sticker. Perhaps they all have the same issue I did? For the record, I paid on my way out like a good girl.
Cleo lay down as soon as we got back to the van, so I figured I’d satisfied her. She gulped down some water and I put her up on the front seats and rode off again. She still looked at me as if I was taking away her only puppy but she didn’t scratch at the window.
I went off in the same direction but skipped Mobius and formed a ten mile loop. It was brilliant stuff and I came across trail workers in two different spots. My fee at work!
There was a playground at the top with berms and jumps and an expert section with multi-foot drop-offs made from timber bridges. I did a couple of laps of the playground but avoided the timber.
There were so many trails that I had to do some hard navigation work at the top and I rode down a trail that faded into nothing but I was soon on the right track. Of course I was, I’d found the Grand Prix trail. I loved the name and I think I put down some fresh tracks since it looked like it had been recently re-formed.
Once I hit Mitchell’s Ridge, I knew exactly where I was and enjoyed it at full speed. What a great trail network, I’m glad I did it (twice).
Cleo was out with her tail wailing as soon as I got back and I didn’t waste any time cleaning the bike. I never feel right about storing it dirty and with the bike going under the bed, I really don’t have a choice anymore. During the clean, I noticed I needed new brake pads but my hands had lost feeling by the time I finished the wash, so I’ll do that another day.
Still in rush mode, I had a shower, readied the van, then we drove back to camp. Cleo got a dog biscuit when we drove through the toll booth this time round.
The driving had charged the house batteries enough to allow me to work the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Cleo had an early night and I wasn’t far behind her.
First Snow Camp
Without sun for power I was learning how to manage my day. We were up early, then I consulted my map for where to head next. It was time to leave the river and head up into the forest. I was a little worried about getting into the snow since I hadn’t had the privilege of driving Berta in those conditions. Bend was my first time driving her in the rain, so I was a complete noob, but I had to grow up some time.
As I climbed north into the mountains, the black tarmac turned white and I was very cautious but also comforted by the many vehicle tracks going in both directions. I wasn’t alone.
Once I reached the summit, I breathed a little easier and was happy to park-up next to Swift Dam. I was under a bit of time pressure with a 9:30am meeting and I got myself situated just in time at a spot near a lookout.
When I got out of the van, I could smell smoke, so it wasn’t just thick clouds above our heads. That wouldn’t help my solar situation! It started snowing lightly around 10am and started to stick around noon. The intensity never increased from flurries so it was nice and peaceful. I took a break in the afternoon and we walked over to the lookout. Not much to see really.
When I returned to work, Starlink was having connectivity issues. Looking at the app, it showed that the in-built heater was active to stop snow settling on top of the satellite (of course they thought of that) but I figured with such big flakes falling, the signal was struggling to get through? Lots to learn here. I had a bit of cell service but nothing good enough for VPN’ing to my work computer. Oh well, I finished my work day a little early.
Now what to do? There wasn’t really any hiking or biking in the area, not that it would have been much fun in this weather and Cleo seemed happy to be resting. I got stuck into my van list.
I installed the buck booster and discovered it stepped the voltage down, not up, so that was a fail. Bloody electronics. I installed the shower hooks (they worked great) then added stiffening sticks to the windscreen cover. I added a piece of angle to the overhead cupboard to stop stuff pushing on the sliding doors and adjusted the sliding doors so they glide smoothly (so satisfying). The grinder came out next and I ground off the excess bolt length on the table holder and I glued the dimmer knob for the dining room light.
That took me up to a late dinner which I enjoyed while watching WRC, then I was in bed.
Out of First Snow Camp
It snowed a lot more than I thought overnight. I was up at 6am and it was too early to do anything so I went back to bed to blog for a bit, then ventured out. It was snowing a little and I was already up to the top of my boots in snow. I was nervous. We walked up the road which had been sloughed some time during the night and there were already a few sets of tire tracks. The tarmac didn’t feel too slippery but I thought it warranted chains. When a truck went by with chains, that supported my feeling.
On our way back to the van, a large branch fell right in front of us from the weight of the new snow. The forest was adjusting to the winter for the first time. After I had breakfast, I started the car to heat things up while I put the chains on. It took me a couple of goes to remember which way they went on. My hands were cold by the time I’d figured it out but these chains are great – there’s no going under the car.
I scraped four inches of snow off the windscreen then I was ready to roll. Even though these chains are self-tightening, I would normally drive forward a bit then get out to check them, but once I got going, I decided to plough through. I made it to the road no worries, without a single slip.
I forgot just how loud chains are when they’re pummeling along on tarmac, but I kept them on and drove slow, thankfully heading downhill.
At the dam, it was slush more than ice and it was now raining. I pulled over and took the chains off, figuring it was safe. I timed it perfectly. The slush was soon just a wet road and my biggest problem now was Cleo freaking out about the sound of rain on the windscreen. Loud music fixed that.
Still on quite a windy road, all of the snow on the roof came off in one fell swoop as we rounded a corner and I was glad no one was coming the other way, it would have given them a proper shock.
We stopped in at a rest area and spent most of the morning there for me to do some work. It never stopped raining and I discovered the diesel heater inlet pipe was hanging loose under the van so I sorted that out before we made off again.
A quick search found Alder Lake as our next camp – open year round and with hot showers! Cleo was overdue for a bath so that made the decision easy. More rain during the drive and the fog-ridden pine forests made for a pretty drive. I chatted to JR once the rain let up. He was great company for my last hour.
Alder Lake was host to a beautiful big campground with nobody in it. Maybe five of the 300 sites were occupied. It felt like a zombie apocalypse with grey skies overhead and a deserted space meant to hold hundreds of people. The lake level was well below the pier and the swimming enclosure lay sadly on the dry ground.
We walked all over the area then I finished my work day back at camp with a beer in hand (I deserved it after my successful snow morning). I caught up with Bart later that night and we discovered that we’re still friends and it was nice to finally clear the air about the way I left SSRL.
I tried out the shower which was more warm than hot at a cost of 50c for 6 minutes. It was well worth the money.
Autumn in Winter
Being a Saturday, we let ourselves have a lie in. It rained all night (what a surprise) which gave me a nice sound to fall asleep to. During our morning jaunt around the campsite, we saw a cat first, then a deer, then a party of elk! Cleo was a pain in the arse wanting to chase after them all but she managed to restrain herself.
After breakfast, I took Cleo over to the showers for her bath. It wasn’t technically allowed but I covered the drain with my shoe and cleaned up all the dog hair after. She looked and felt amazing, though a little sad.
We planned to drive straight up to Redmond, but then the sun came out so I thought I’d better dry Cleo off with a walk.
We drove ten minutes up the road and parked at the Hugo Peak trailhead. While views were not promised, the trip through the forest was beautiful.
It wasn’t as steep as the hikes we’d done near the Colombia River Gorge so it was a nice one.
Having traipsed through single track over bridges and creeks on the way up, we came back down on a fire road and it started raining a little. A ran for a while then decided we were just going to get a bit wet, especially when we started walking through a thick mist.
Once we were on the road again, we were back on major roads after twenty minutes and in proper traffic after an hour. I could see Seattle off in the distance and I was glad my friends didn’t live in the thick of it. I was happy to get off the main highway then drive up some winding roads through a forest of moss-covered trees to the suburb of Redmond.
Kimberly and Anthony’s driveway was steep but had a flat spot right at the top so I maneuvered myself in. The house was much bigger than I imagined. Kimberly came out to meet me. My friend from Tesla who I hadn’t seen since her wedding day back in 2018. Berta was much bigger than she thought and after we’d chatted a bit and her husband Anthony came out to join us, I gave them the tour. They were suitably impressed and Kimberly got to meet Cleo for the first time.
Inside, I met Autumn, their 2.5 year old beautiful girl. She was an easy wake up from her midday nap and let us adults catch up for an hour or so, then we took Cleo on a walk to their local park before dark. It was so wet that a lot of the houses in the neighborhood were covered in moss as well as the sidewalks! Pine needles, which were scattered everywhere, were the bane of Anthony’s existence.
Anthony and I walked along a trail while Kimberly and Autumn played on the swings. Back at the house, we whiled away the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening just talking. After pizza for dinner, Autumn went straight to bed, though I learned she’d been hard work for the first six months of her life.
Once we’d talked ourselves out, I retired to the van for bed time with Cleo. She was happy to see me and I was happy to have a good snuggle.
Dance Class
Anthony and I had planned on a mountain bike ride, but it had rained all night and was carrying on into today. A typical winter’s day in Washington. I took Cleo for a wet walk, then joined the family for breakfast. Kimberly and I tried to convince Anthony to come along to Autumn’s dane class but he wasn’t enthusiastic so it was just us girls.
We played the parking game which meant we were a little late to the 10am class, but no matter, we just took off our shoes and took up our places in the studio. The teacher Miranda had enthusiasm from out of this world and the kids drew their joy from her. It was great fun moving around with the kids doing what you wouldn’t really call dancing, but just playing around and singing songs. They all made me feel very welcome.
Coffee and cake afterwards delayed us getting back to the car in the rain. Despite Autumn’s wishes, we couldn’t go to the castle playground due to the weather so we went home to dry off and play a bit in the living room before lunch.
Autumn and I played catch and I taught her “1, 2, 3, punch it!”
While Autumn was down for a nap, some light was shining through the clouds so I thought I’d best get Cleo out for a longer walk. The dry didn’t last long. We were wet within ten minutes and now there were gunshots! Poor Cleo, she wasn’t having the best time.
Kimberly had gone grocery shopping while I was walking and since she wasn’t back yet, I thought I’d better get out of denial and fix the leak above the bed. I’d noticed the wet patch on the ceiling yesterday and naively hoped it would just go away but no, the roof was leaking right above my eyes. I was disappointed because I thought I’d done a good job of sealing up the Starlink bolts.
I pulled the ceiling panels down and the fully-soaked insulation to find a factory plug was the source of the leak. A drip every five seconds or so had taken weeks to soak through everything and form a drop but thankfully there was no mould.
Kimberly got home as I was teetering on the back of the van making a tent to cover the plug while I siliconed it (it was still raining of course). I was liberal with the silicone, inside and out and I didn’t mind about the prettiness of the finished product. Being dry was my priority.
By the time I was ready to go back inside, Cleo was shivering. I put the heater on for her, though I suspected her shivers were from the gunshots and not the cold. Autumn was up from her nap and though Anthony was a little low on energy, we were keen for some indoor mini-golf that they’d talked about.
We drove down the hill and had a great afternoon at their local brewery which had a whole assortment of games, not just mini-golf. It was an indoor fun-house for adults as well as kids and an essential part of the community considering the consistently poor weather.
We had a blast and I enjoyed a beautiful pineapple sour beer while the other two drank ports (yuck). Kimberly and I both managed hole-in-ones but Anthony and Autumn were hopeless.
At home, Anthony cooked us a nice pasta dinner and you could say Autumn and I were friends now. She asked me to read her a book before the real adults put her to bed properly. Not long after that, I said goodnight and goodbye to my friends. I was so glad I’d gotten to see them after so long and to meet their beautiful daughter.
See you both when I see you! And hopefully we’ll do some riding next time!
Where Pines Meet the Ocean
We were up early and I navigated us out of the steep driveway successfully. Though we were on a major highway again, we never really left the pines behind. Having been drenched throughout the weekend thanks to my old and no-longer-waterproof rain jacket and Cleo’s joke of a home-made coat, we were in desperate need of an upgrade.
Our next stop was a visit with a work mate from Bellingham so just south of there, I found the perfect little shopping center to meet all of our needs. I did a couple of hours work first, then went from store to store. I hit the UPS to mail some things, print and sign some things, then went into REI to shop for a new jacket. They were kind enough to let Cleo in so she could try on her new rain/snow jacket which fit her perfectly. Then it was lunch time so I treated myself to Pad Thai from a bustling restaurant, then last on the ticket was a wander through Ace Hardware for the pieces I’d need to install a drain tap in the water system.
After a bit more work, I was ready to go find a nice camp and I found one in Larrabee State Park. I was making a habit of paying for camping!
Surprise, surprise, after choosing our spot in the campground it was raining! Didn’t matter to us, we had the right gear now. We donned it and went for an explore around the coastal trails. It was beautiful! I’d never been anywhere like it where the thick pine forest literally went all the way up to the ocean.
We ended up hiking through the dark to get back but the train line helped us navigate out of the forest and back towards our campsite. More rain throughout the night, I’m glad I fixed the roof leak otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to sleep.
Unemployment Line
After doing some work in the early hours of the morning, we donned our new gear and walked over the road to hike up to Fragrance Lake. It wasn’t really raining, but the forest was perpetually wet. I had to de-layer about a mile in the air felt so thick and the incline was steep.
We saw a couple of running pairs and there was a couple at the lookout with their dog when we reached it, but we otherwise had the trail to ourselves.
The Lake was picturesque with a light fog rising above its surface.
On the way down, we broke the rules and hiked down a mountain-bike trail. It was so wet I figured no one would be riding it and it was the closest I was going to get to riding. It turned out to be a mistake when I slipped and bent my knee in an awkward way to catch myself. That made me limp the rest of the way down. Thankfully it had righted itself by the afternoon, but it scared me a little just how fragile it still was.
Back at camp, the weather had dried up a bit so I saw my opportunity to put new brake pads on Scottie. I got the bike out, flipper her upside-down and had the new pads in after ten minutes. That meant she was ready for that afternoon’s plans.
I had some lunch and finished out my work day, needing to start the car to last through my 1pm meeting because the house batteries died again. Then it was time to go find Tim.
I told him I was on my way then drove on up to his house that looked out over Bellingham. It was a beautiful spot, despite the construction site that his home had become, I could see how amazing it all would look when it was finished. After giving me a quick tour, we were ready to get riding to make the most of the remaining daylight. Tim readied his bike then met me out at the van where I was soon ready.
We rode away from his house and within a mile were on some muddy single track. Mud would be the theme of the day but that didn’t matter. There were no rules here about not riding on wet trails. If that were the case, no one would ever ride. Tim lived within two miles of the Galbraith trail network – a maze of over 100 miles worth of mountain bike trails.
He was a great tour guide and once we’d finished our slippery climb, we were in the park and starting out on Unemployment Line – possibly the most famous trail of them all and what a start!
I rode over the domed timber structure to start it off and screamed as I peaked over it, underestimating just how steep it was. I forgot about my knee for a while and nearly paid for it when I couldn’t stop into a corner, but I recovered ok and Tim made sure I was alright before he flew past me. I had to remember how to ride in slippery conditions like these!
With one eye on the clock, we ventured on a few more trails and he gave me a great taster of his local ride. The views over the city were just stunning and I stopped a few times just to take it all in.
By the time we were cruising back through the neighborhood, it was dark so we’d timed it well. The last construction worker was just leaving for the day and we took our bikes round back to hose them off. I was just about as dirty as my bike and unfortunately just had to put all my wet stuff into a tote to be dealt with later.
I thanked Tim for the ride and looked forward to seeing him again in the Summer some time when he talked about having everyone up from SSRL for a bike week. I can only imagine the playground Bellingham is when the sun shines for nearly twenty hours each day.
I packed everything up and drove down the hill towards Canada. It would be Cleo’s first time in the country and I was prepared with her rabies certificate and a wide smile that usually helped me out at border crossings.
When I got to the border just south of Vancouver, I expected a proper drilling and thorough inspection, but simply had a friendly conversation with the border guard who commented on Cleo being cute and seemed impressed that I “lived” in this van. He let me go on my way without me so much as opening a door.
My cell service dropped out immediately after crossing the line so I turned Starlink on to keep in touch with Sheldan. He lived in Coquitlam and the navigation to his place was easy enough. I parked on the street and he came down to greet me. I packed a bag and he led us into the elevator that took us into his brand new apartment. I gave Julia a hug and she doted on Cleo.
I had a much needed shower then we sat around the kitchen table and caught up.
WeWork
Sheldan, Cleo and I were up early and out of the house before we could see Julia. Just for something different, it was raining. We loaded into Shelly’s Forerunner (beautiful midnight blue) and drove into Vancouver proper. It was still properly dark when we parked and walked to Sheldan’s WeWork office where I felt like a very modern remote worker, walking in with my dog.
We passed through the deserted common area and back into some private offices where his company rented a dedicated space. Cleo surveyed the room and decided to ignore the dog bed and toys in the corner and situated herself in the middle of the floor while Shelly and I got ourselves set-up for the day. I was supplying all the technology since Sheldan’s laptop was recently stolen, so he used my MacBook.
Once it got light outside, my tummy started grumbling so I wandered down the street and bought us a pair of Acai bowls for breakfast. Once I mowed into that, I took Cleo out for a walk and the rain had thankfully reduced to a light mist giving us a nice walk around the block.
When 11am hit, it was time for my lunch date on the south side of the river. Happy to break up my work day, I set out for my 45-minute walk. Cleo seemed more than comfortable with Sheldan so I didn’t have any issues leaving the two to keep each other company.
I listened to a podcast as I walked over the Cambie Bridge and marveled at the ridiculous size of Vancouver city. My timing was perfect and I found the restaurant easily. It was in a beautiful little downtown strip and I’d barely settled into a booth when Michael Bongiorno walked in.
Michael and I had dated for three years at the end of university and during the first years of our professional lives. A digital artist, he worked for various companies on films and television in Adelaide and Melbourne before we went our separate ways and I moved off to Brisbane. We’d stayed in touch and met up since then in the US when I was working at Tesla but we hadn’t spoken since before the pandemic. I’m glad I remembered he moved to Vancouver and he was around on such short notice.
He looked just the same as I remembered when he walked in. Same hairstyle, same smile, everything. Once I’d taken him in, my eyes wandered to his jacket where a Walt Disney logo adorned his breast. I pointed and smiled. “Really?” “Yeah.” “Really?!” “Yeah”. Mike had made it. He had the job of his dreams.
We talked nonstop for nearly three hours. We went all the way back to when we’d last seen each other and filled in all the gaps. He was happy. His parents were doing really well and to my surprise, his Mum still reads my blog! Not only had he “made it”, but his girlfriend was up the top too, working for Pixar. They travelled often and when he was in Vancouver, he loved it. It was home for him.
With a 2pm meeting to get to, we got up to leave, but I wanted to walk him to his office door. Despite wanting to see a castle entrance with a shooting star overhead, it was a nondescript entrance the next street over from the restaurant. We hugged and said goodbye, glad that we’d taken the chance to see each other.
The rain held off for my walk back to WeWork and I found Sheldan and Cleo happily at work with another of Sheldan’s colleagues who’d been enjoying the furry company. I took Cleo out a couple more times and worked the longest day of my planning career at nearly 12 hours. I was just waiting up for Shelly who did these hours on the regular.
At home, we met Julia and swapped workday stories over dinner.
Home Office
Another work day, the three of us found our spaces inside the apartment. Sheldan in his office, Julia in the living room and me in the kitchen. We kept each other entertained and Cleo took turns sitting at people’s feet, making sure everyone had their turn.
Sheldan went out midday to take his car in for a service so when I went out for a long walk with Cleo, I picked up some Asian Pho for us girls.
In the evening, I had the apartment to myself when Sheldan dressed himself up and went out for his Christmas party while Julia had an appointment. I took the chance to watch the first episode of a Brawn GP documentary (an F1 show not intended for F1 fans), then put some Triple J on and blogged.
I chatted a while with Julia when she came home but I didn’t stay up late enough to see Sheldan.
Cypress
I had to make up for my massive workday on Wednesday and I figured the best way to do that was with some snowboarding. Cypress mountain, just on the other side of Vancouver, had opened yesterday and I didn’t care that it was only the bunny hill, I wanted to start my ski season!
I got up early as advised by my housemates to beat the traffic going across Vancouver. The drive was windy and steep leading up to the mountain and I didn’t see any white stuff until I got to the very top of the drive. Doesn’t matter! Just here to get wet!
The other surprising thing we saw as we approached the mountain was the sun! We’d driven high enough to be above the clouds. We parked up (we were about the 12th car) facing south and after taking Cleo on a tour of the carpark, I set up the office to clock in. I had breakfast, shot off a few emails, then kitted up for the mountain. I had to remember how it all went on!
Over to the one operating lift, I got on and joined in the excited atmosphere. Everyone was amped for the start of their season. Needless to say, I was very chatty on the lift.
This was the perfect session for me. I was nervous about my knee and how it would handle the twisting motion of snowboarding and a little fearful I’d fall on it and cause damage. It performed just fine. I kneeled down gently on the thin snow and found it could handle my weight without pain.
I did my stars, I rode switch and listened to Hilltop Hoods as I rode the gentle slope. It was so small I could barely get through one song before getting onto the lift for another ride.
The highlight of my day came when I joined a guy in line on a snowboard who, as we approached the lift, said, “Question… How do you turn?” “What?” “How do you turn? Is it with your shoulder, or do you put your arms out?” I laughed. “Are you trying to learn snowboarding by yourself?” “I’ve been here since 9am”. Well shit. It was nearly 1pm so this guy was determined! I told him we could ride down together and I could give him a few pointers. It was not a successful run. He was so exhausted from falling down all day that he barely had control of his legs and broke into a yell before even hitting the ground. I told him what I could and advised that he give up on trying to turn and just focus on getting his stop sorted out. We had one more run together, but then I had a meeting to get to.
I hustled back to the van and managed to get my hair looking somewhat professional (I put a hat on) for a quick Zoom. I had a bite to eat, then I was back out onto the “slope” for some afternoon running. I only did a couple more because the after-work crowd had showed up making the run not worthwhile. Still, I chatted to a few more people then called it a day.
Sheldan and Julia had said I should leave the mountain early, again to avoid traffic, but I didn’t want to rush back. I packed up my gear then we checked out both the viewpoints we’d passed on the way up.
It was a nice time to do it with the sun setting and the city lights starting up their twinkle. It meant an hour sitting in crawling traffic but Guenther Steiner kept me company.
I picked up some cheese, crackers and beer on the way home and with some beautifully grilled steaks, that became dinner. We chatted the night away and while Julia bailed out around 11pm, Sheldan and I did some serious talking and stayed up until nearly 2am, him enjoying some top shelf whiskey in the process.
It Rains in Vancouver
Cleo got me out of bed at 7:30am despite my tiredness. I just caught Julia before she left for her baby sitting duties and had a quick shower to wake myself up. Since Cleo had spent the last three days cooped up inside, it was time to get her out and about. We donned our coats and went for a massive walk.
We started in a local park where we ventured through mud and over timber platforms then probably should have turned around but we ended up at the water.
It was raining by the time we got out of the park and it didn’t stop for the next two hours. After walking along a busy road for half a mile, we got back into a park and then through the suburbs to get back to S&J’s place. Despite her clothing, Cleo was over being in the rain, stopping in the shelter of a bus stop for a break.
About a mile from home, I started to think we’d have been better off if it was snowing instead of raining and just then, flakes started to fall. Lovely! We were happy to let ourselves back into the apartment and it being nearly noon, I worried that I’d left Sheldan out of our walk but no need, he was still in bed.
I cooked us some breakfast and after he tried some eggs, he went straight back to bed. Too much whiskey last night. He needed more time to sleep it off. I sat by the window and blogged, then he woke up properly at around 1pm. The snow was persisting which limited our possible activities, so we both settled in for a lazy afternoon. I wrote while he played video games with me offering occasional commentary. I also called Rob which made me suitably nervous about the drive ahead of me tomorrow and but he assured me I’d get through alright on my Summer tires as long as I took it slow. He also warned me that there wouldn’t be anyone advising me when to put chains on. This wasn’t California. In Canada, they assumed you were smart enough to read the conditions and act accordingly.
Julia got home around 5pm then we were out for dinner. One of Sheldan’s cousin’s birthdays, it was a Chinese family affair at a Pho restaurant where we occupied two tables and someone decided what food we should get. I tried most of it but generally stuck to the safe stuff like chicken while the others chowed into crabs and lobster. The whole family was boisterous and loud. It was a pleasure just to be part of it all.
Back home, we cut our conversation off at 11pm, not wanting a repeat of last night.
Coquihalla
Cleo and I were up at 7am for an 8am departure. Despite it being a Sunday, Sheldan and Julia got up to see us off and give me a big hug. We said goodbye and went down the elevator for the next part of our journey.
I was nervous about the drive ahead but tried to drum up some internal confidence. Part of that was vehicle readiness so I checked the tyre pressure on all four corners. I was surprised and delighted to see “M+S” on the sidewall! I have semi-winter tires so I wouldn’t be breaking any Canadian laws! That made me feel better.
I turned Starlink on and left it on for the whole drive in case I needed a rescue. My biggest fear was just how stupid I would look if Berta ended up in a ditch with her Arizona plates sticking out. I could feel the potential eye rolls of the Canadians as they drove past.
We were out of the big smoke quickly and I was happy for the kind weather. There was hardly any snow on the ground and where there was some, it was a wet slush and not hard ice. I had to put sunnies on at the top because it was glary sitting above the clouds.
With the first pass done, I stopped at a rest area for a pee break and laughed at the gross lack of enforcement of the “no overnight camping or parking” law.
The next pass was ok too – no worse than Donner Pass at Tahoe – but I was glad I’d mentally prepared for the worst. I even had my temperature gauge up front per Rob’s warning that it was most dangerous a few degrees below freezing when things starting getting slippery.
Berta did great though we got two chips in the windscreen from the salt and muck thrown up by cars in front (I was driving slowly so getting overtaken lots).
Once over the last peak, we filled up at a remote gas station and Cleo had a run around in the snow-covered picnic area. It was nice to be isolated again after being surrounded by so much in Vancouver.
I talked to Dan on the way down and our conversation was constantly interrupted by my swearing at more shit smashing into the windscreen. It was violent!
I pulled into Rob’s driveway mid-afternoon into a Berta-sized space he’d left just for me. I knocked on the front door, laughing at the out-of-date Halloween decorations still adorning it and then there was Rob. I was so happy to see my mate.
He gave me a tour of his place, I said hi to his wife Teresa who was breast-feeding their 3-month old Simon, and he showed me to the downstairs apartment where I’d be staying. Theo, their nearly 3-year old was a chatterbox and a great tour guide. What a great spot for their family, though I didn’t quite understand how they survived when they had the bottom apartment rented out.
We didn’t stay long with Goblin, the family cat, needing to go to a vet appointment. The kids stayed home while Rob and I went together. We spent over an hour in the waiting room, but we didn’t mind, it gave us a good chance to catch up on the serious stuff. Goblin checked out with a full bill of health so we head home. It was only just past 5pm but that meant it was properly dark. Back home, I got to start hanging out with the boys.
Once we got Cleo settled into the lower apartment, with a specific route through the garage so she’d never come across Goblin, we set off to visit Teresa’s sister Steph for dinner. There I got to meet her son Silas who was a year older than Theo and a bundle of energy. Steph’s big dog (some sort of pitbull mix) made the evening chaos from the minute we walked through the door.
We had a stand-up dinner of butter chicken in the kitchen, where I instantly felt a part of the family. It was so relaxed and casual, with Rob and I helping ourselves to seconds, just my style.
The boys were getting restless inside so Rob and I took them out for an adventure while the girls stayed in with Simon for a catch-up. Our adventure was typical Rob-style. He pulled over when he saw some bright lights and wow did he nail it. “Living Nativity” was a play just getting out of its last performance and we wandered in to see what it was all about. We soon found ourselves queueing for a marvelous delight!
Through the back of the theater, they’d put on an after-show! There were living statues, dozens of Christmas trees decorated to the nines and cookies and hot chocolate! We each had a boy on top of our shoulders and I only hoped they were as stoked as me and Rob were. What a find!
Now holding hands with Silas, we walked outside into the light rain where there were more decorations and people handing out fairy floss. Wow!
The light tunnel was what Rob had seen from the road and we walked through that to end our experience. I know we were amongst people who had paid for the show, but such is our style that we found our way in for nothing. Win!
Back in the car, we went in search of candy-cane lane – a street in Kelowna known for the residents’ efforts in Christmas light decorations. Once we found it, we bucked the trend of people driving slowly around the neighbourhood and parked so we could walk and appreciate it up close. They were beautiful installations.
Then Silas found a pile of snow. Once he threw a snowball, he couldn’t stop. It was snowball fights all the way back to the car.
With the kids suitably tired (and probably wet and cold from the snowballs, we went back to Steph’s, picked up Teresa and head home. Cleo was happy to see me and we made ourselves comfortable in Rob’s office on the air bed. I took precautions to make sure Cleo didn’t cause any punctures.
Hurry Up Chicken Butt
I was up early to get some of my work day in and took Cleo out for a walk while it was still dark. I stopped work when Rob sent me a message announcing French Toast was in the making! Upstairs, I joined them for breakfast (delicious) and met Waffles the chameleon. His colors are impressive but unfortunately he didn’t go for the worm Rob was holding in his hand. He seemed to fascinating a creature to be in such a human environment but he didn’t seem to mind where he was, as long as he could climb on something, like my hair.
Biking was the day’s activity so Theo, Rob and I got suited up for adventure. Teresa had an assignment to finish so she was happy to be left to study with Simon. I loved Rob’s set-up with Theo sitting on the top bar of his mountain bike and Theo seemed to like it too.
We crossed the road and rolled down some wet trails to the bike park where it was a total mud fest. Rob whooped and hollered over every mound with Theo matching his enthusiasm. My rear wheel was sliding all over the place and we were covered in mud within seconds.
From there we kept riding alive the river until we reached Friend Bridge. A nice name for a nice spot, I couldn’t believe this was all on Rob’s doorstep. Years ago I’d been hiking with Rob in Big Bear, California, when he bought this place so they hadn’t really known everything about the neighborhood and they’d lucked out big time to have all this nearby.
After making the bridge swing from side to side (which didn’t impress Theo), we biked up again and rode up a big hill for a view of the town below. There were deer all over grazing in the cold grass and within ten minutes, we were in rural Kelowna.
Up on the mesa were hobby farms and we went straight to see some horses Rob & Theo had visited many times before. We fed them with carrots and lettuce Rob had stuffed in his pockets. Peeny and Pony were their names (according to Theo) and they enjoyed our treats. Beautiful animals, though as always their size intimidated me.
Back home, we got out of our muddy clothes and Theo attempted a nap while I took Cleo out then did some more work. It was nearly dark already! The days are just so short.
Rob put a roast on for dinner, then we had time for some errands with Simon to give Teresa some proper alone time to focus on her assignment. It was nice to watch Rob be a pro-parent, unfolding the pram in a single motion, clipping Simon’s car seat into it and positioning Theo on the rear step to ride-along.
We went to Home Depot first for some door locks, then their local pet store for some dog food (that was closed), then a game shop. Rob asked the guy at the counter for recommendations while I perused the Magic the Gathering cards and sent a photo off to Jo-Joe. We left “Hurry Up Chicken Butt”.
At home, the roast dinner was yummy and we played Hurry Up Chicken Butt until Theo’s bed time.
Skate Park & Door Locks
The household had a late night, thanks to Theo having a hard time getting to sleep, so that meant everyone was up late. That worked for me because I got all my morning meetings out of the way.
After a late breakfast, it was skate park time with Cleo. She was a total pest in the car, but it was nice to get her out of the house. She’s so out of her element, not knowing where she’s supposed to be or what to do and I know she can sense a cat in the house.
It was fun to skate again after so long. I toured the park with Cleo on the longboard while Rob and Theo scooted around the skate park, getting all the way into the bowl. Theo was a demon on the scooter and he could get up some serious speed! After our lap he was keen to show me what he could do and I was suitably impressed.
Next up we scooted/skated over to the playground and Theo hit the swings for a bit with us grown-ups swinging beside him. Of course Rob dismounted with a perfect backflip, making it look easy. After another loop back to the car, it was preschool time for Theo. We raced home after that to get me to my 1pm meeting. I was a little late, but no matter, it’s only work.
Once I got that out of the way, Theo was back from preschool so I went upstairs to hang out. I played with Simon who is just a perfect baby both in looks and attitude. I lay him on my knees and marveled at how how symmetrical all of his features are and he just wouldn’t cry! Not in front of me anyway… It was nice to have more time to just talk to Rob who entertained Theo while chatting. Us spending more time with the kids meant more focus time for Teresa, whose midnight deadline was looming.
We all went over to Steph’s again to fix her door locks and when I found out Rob was armed with a single multi-tool, I laughed and got my tool kit from Berta. It took us a solid 45 minutes to install the first one on the front door, then five minutes to do the second because we knew what we were doing. Two engineers, honestly, you’d think we could do a couple of door locks but we ended up really having to put our heads together. It didn’t help that the boys were going crazy and the dog too. Silas cracked me up when he decided to put my shoes on and then tried to pick up my tool kit to get into proper “Sarah” costume. Maybe a sign of his future career? Haha, good on ya Silas, it was way too heavy for him but the boots looked good!
We picked up pizza for dinner, dropped one off to Steph then head home. Rob put Theo to bed while I hung with Simon, then the three of us chilled in the living room to give Teresa the rest of the night to meet her deadline. She came up relieved and had enough energy to hang out until we all went to bed around 1am.
Childhood Friend
After another late night, it was a quiet house all morning! I poked my head in upstairs at 9am and saw Rob asleep with Simon on the couch so tip-toed back downstairs to take Cleo on her walk. We switched between the neighborhood and the river which didn’t matter to Cleo, she was just happy to be outside.
Rob and Teresa head out for a parent-teacher interview at Theo’s preschool so I worked all through the morning until 12 noon. My concentration had gone to shit by then so I called it a day and went up to wash the bikes. Scottie had been covered in mud for two days and my eye was starting to twitch. I got my bike stand out and gave her and Rob’s bike a thorough wash down. I was just finishing up Rob’s bike when everyone came home and I met Keegan.
Keegan and Rob spent their formative years together when their families both lived in Alaska and I’d heard a lot about him so it was great to finally meet him. I instantly liked him because as he crossed the back deck to say hello to me, he swerved when he saw Scottie and stopped in his tracks. He put his hands in his pockets and stood back in appreciation. “Nice bike.” I thought, I like Keegan!
They’d come from a boba tea place and Theo very kindly brought me a tea, making sure to make a successful delivery. The boys helped me pack up the hose (it’s gotta be empty of water otherwise it will freeze and burst the hose) and Rob was very grateful for his bike to have had a service. He was not in the habit of keeping it clean so I was happy to have given it a once over.
It was mid-afternoon but there was time to fit in an adventure so we suited up for riding, strapped the clean bikes to the Billy-car and squeezed in. We parked at Knox and hit the disc golf park first. We were all talking non-stop, Theo included.
We played a few holes of the course and I saw that Theo has a bloody good arm! I was happy with my arm too having not played in years.
With the sun slowly saying goodbye, we played one last hole then got back to the car to get on the bikes. We enjoyed beautiful views as we climbed up a steadily steep tarmac path and we could see the flowing single track that would be our company on the way down.
Rob was sucking air bringing both him and Theo up, which made Keegan and I feel lighter than we should be. The viewpoint halfway up the road was just stunning with a great view of Okanagan Lake and the “big city” of Kelowna below.
Keegan was doing all sorts of tricks on Rob’s old steel frame bike and he didn’t disappoint when I set up for a photo.
Did I mention my bike looks amazing?
I swapped bikes with Rob as we kept climbing upwards so that he could have an easier time of it. He enjoyed the lightness of Scottie and Theo and I enjoyed each other’s company.
At the top of the single track, we were amped for some flow and we got it in spades. I watched Keegan, Rob and Theo ride down and I couldn’t tell who was yelling the loudest.
What a trail! It was beautiful and smooth and you could make it as fast as you liked (which wasn’t very fast for me). We were still whooping and hollering at the base that we decided to go up for another run. Keegan took Theo up this time but like me, he wasn’t game to ride the singletrack with him.
The second run was even better than the first because we didn’t stop mucking around to take in the scenery and watch each other. What a great ride!
The lights of Kelowna were now twinkling below us so it was time to head home. An afternoon well spent and the bikes didn’t get muddy again which was a bonus!
We got home to a house full of people. Teresa’s parents Kathy and Fred had arrived, then Steph and Silas came over. We whipped up a dinner (Rob on the steak, me on the air fried chips and steamed broccoli) and somehow everyone found somewhere to sit and enjoy the company. What a house full of joy! Simon and I didn’t have a chance to hang out because there were just so many hands to hold him!
We ended the night playing a boardgame designed by Rob and his brother Jake and even got Jake on the phone so he could share in the experience.
Theo (the two-year-old) won but I managed to do damage to Keegan by throwing a boat at him. I went to bed shortly after the parents knowing I had a bit of work to do in the morning which left Keegan and Rob to have a good catch-up until at least 1am. I went to sleep grateful to have been included in such a family gathering.
Stars (Keegan) on Ice
I was another early morning for me, not so for everyone else. I did an hour of work before taking Cleo out where we discovered it was snowing lightly. It got pretty full on for the return trip and I regretted wearing my jacket without a hood. When we got back to the house we were wet but still happy!
I got all my work done by 10:30am which was perfect timing to join the family for a late breakfast at Cora’s. There’s something about this place for Keegan. Every time he’s in Canada he just have to have it. We occupied a bit table and there was a lot of talk about the night’s upcoming show and the food was delicious. It had a menu about half a mile long but it didn’t matter what you ordered, it was all great.
With so many people, I’d driven Berta there with Rob in the passenger seat because he was keen for the experience. He was very impressed a the lack of rattle and squeaks which made me beam with pride. That had been a big focus of the build and it was nice to have a critical mind notice that I’d done well.
Despite the rain, Theo was keen for a playground walk so Keegan, Rob and Theo took the Billy-car, the girls stayed at the mall for some Christmas shopping and I drove Frank and I back to the house. He also complemented me on my vehicle. Thanks!
At home, I took Cleo for a rainy walk (jackets on) then worked for another hour or two. When I heard the house come alive again, I head up stairs and joined in on the rocket making! Part of Keegan’s Christmas with his show-mates, he had to handmade a present and having a two-year-old’s help was the perfect setting!
Not longer after that, Keegan had to get ready for the show so we said goodbye and Rob took him to the venue. The rest of us hung out and had a light dinner.
With show time approaching, we piled into cars and drove over to the ice rink. Keegan is a two-time Olympic figure skater. He and Rob both had Olympic aspirations in their teens and vowed that if either of them made it, the other would go to support them. Rob unfortunately had to end his professional skiing career due to injury, but he’d fulfilled his pledge and seen Keegan compete at the Olympics. Now retired from competition, Keegan and a dozen of his colleagues travel the northern hemisphere putting on shows for entertainment and this one, Stars on Ice, was their Christmas celebration. Lucky me to be in the right place at the right time to see it!
At the venue, we delivered the rocket to Keegan at the side door then parked and went inside to find our seats. Rob bought us a beer to share, a poutine (ticking that Canadian box) and a huge bag of popcorn for Theo.
Inside, we stood by the ice and did some star jumps before heading up into the stands.
Of the seven of us attending, we only had to buy one ticket with the rest coming thanks to Keegan so anywhere would have been good, but we had a prime spot!
Stars on Ice was an outstanding show and made even more so because our friend was a part of it. They all danced as a group, with Keegan playing the part of the playful cousin who showed up late to the Christmas party, making his entrance by jumping over a couch! Needless to say, our row erupted in cheers whenever he was on the ice and I just couldn’t stop smiling.
Keegan was first out on the ice for his Christmas solo and he was mesmerizing to watch. We’ve all seen figure skating on TV but watching it in person it just different. The atmosphere was incredible. When watching competition on TV, I don’t ever remember the crowd doing anything beyond a polite applause at the end of a routine, but not here. After every land of a quadruple spin, a BACKFLIP or a low spin where his whole body was nearly touching the ice, the crowd (me included) went wild. I was beside myself.
The other skaters each did a routine, each more heartfelt than the last and thankfully Rob’s Mum Shiela made it to her seat before intermission. Her flight had been delayed so she was bummed to have missed Keegan’s first routine but she didn’t miss the next.
The second half of the show was less Christmas-themed with each skater dancing to a song of their choice. We watched one couple perform the “head banger” multiple times and I couldn’t help but bring my hand up to my mouth. The man held onto the woman’s ankle and spun her around like a hammer thrower, with her cheek almost grazing the ice each time. An aptly named maneuver – eek!
Keegan’s dance to “Moments We Live For” almost brought me to tears. What an artist. He used every part of his body to put on that display. I lost it multiple times, cheering my head off when he pulled off an amazing move, and I wasn’t alone.
My smile didn’t fall when the show finished. I was just beside myself that I got to witness such magic. We went down to the ice to say hi to Keegan and we felt very VIP sneaking in front of people who’d paid extra for a meet-and-greet with the stars. Keegan came out in a t-shirt looking like a normal dude with a big smile on his face. Despite years of hard competition, training and unimaginable stress on his body, this is obviously what he loves doing most.
Theo and I played catch the “took” (Canadian word for beanie) on the way out, then we all dispersed into cars back home. I took Cleo out for a walk as soon as we got there, then Rob found us out on the streets. He was driving Frank’s car and was on his way to go pick up Keegan. In we got and when we found Keegan he was on the phone to his wife Elaine so we joined in the conversation, talking excitedly about the show and me asking some technical questions.
Back home, Fred had the booze out and we all enjoyed each other’s company for the night. Kids included. I said my goodbyes to Keegan since he was leaving early in the morning, then I went to bed about 1am, leaving the boys to stay up much longer than that. There was a lot of love in the house that night.
Goodbye Friends
It was very hard to wake up early today. My body was reaching its limit, getting up before 6am every day then staying up until midnight with the family. I was desperate to make the most of my time with friends and I had no regrets but wow I was tired.
I did a couple hours work, then walked Cleo. The house started stirring about 9am so I made my way upstairs. Theo heard me coming up and I heard him say, “Quick! She’s about to leave!” He was making me a goodbye present. I assured him I’d be staying for breakfast.
We put on some toast and eggs and had a nice relaxed sit-down with Shiela. I’d seen her at Rob’s wedding, but properly hung out with her when she lived in Whistler back in 2016 so it was nice to chat with her again. She was very interested in Berta so after brekkie we went out for a tour. Teresa came out too because she hadn’t had a look yet. Shiela very firmly told me that I should contact her if I end up selling her. It seemed like the perfect van for her and she’s a full time nomad so I think it would suit her.
Back inside, it was time for us to go. Rob tried one last time with Waffles to get him to eat a worm out of his hand and this time he didn’t disappoint! From his spot on the rope, he slowly wiggled his body from side to side then threw his tongue out to catch the worm. It was in his mouth in under a second. Impressive.
Hugs all round, I said goodbye to this beautiful family who in less than a week had shown me such a great time and did it all without doing anything special. This was just a normal week for them. Rob made sure I knew I was welcome any time and I left knowing it wouldn’t be years before seeing him again.
I’m not ashamed to say I shed some tears as I drove away. Tears of pure joy. I just kept saying to Cleo, or really, to no one in particular, “How good was that?”
26 Nov – 15 Dec 2023